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There is a season
The life of an individual is characterized by different events
that impact on him either positively or negatively. Different
metaphors have been used to name our experiences in life.
According to Parker Palmer “Life is like a game-some win,
some lose”, and “Life is like a battlefield-you get the enemy or
the enemy gets you.” These metaphors bring out the two
opposite views of life, the positive and negative. The two can be
compared using light and darkness. Humans need light and
when natural light is not available, efforts are put in place to
light different areas using artificial light. The positive side of
the coin is what it is preferred by humans and they will try
using any possible means to remain successful and avoid
failure. The negative is avoided at all costs. In the article,
“There is a season”, Parker Palmer brings out clearly the two
sides by comparing them and how people view them.
According to Palmer “One day you can get swept away on an
updraft of hope telling yourself that things are getting better
and better and on the next day you get swept under by a tidal
wave of despair.” Palmer (1999) states that in the former
situation, things are moving the way you want them to be and
you seem very comfortable whereas in the latter, you can grow
weary of the state when you are trapped in it for a long time and
start looking for ways to escape.
The same is seen with how we view our daily life occurrences.
We feel as if we are in control of everything not considering
that nature has its own course. There are two things here, man
and nature. We assume that we are in control of any situation
and occurrence. We believe that we can make time, make
friends, make meaning, make money, make a living and make
love. On the other hand, there is nature. There are powers that
we cannot control. You might want to make money from your
agricultural produce, but in lack of good conditions such as
moderate rainfall and appropriate temperature, all will be
useless. This helps us to look at life from a different angle.
According to Palmer “We are not alone in the universe. We are
participants in the huge communication of being.” The different
metaphors that have been developed to describe life are
different in one way or another. “Life is like a battlefield, you
get your enemy or your enemy gets you”, and “Life is a game,
you either win or lose”, view life from only two sides. Win or
lose, light or darkness. In this case, negative situation depict
trouble and one’s plans might be ruined if he remains in the
same state. “Life is like seasons” is a metaphor that views life
in a totally different way. Palmer (1999) states that life in
neither a game nor a battlefield of chance, but something
infinitely richer, more promising, more real. In this context, life
is viewed as a permanent cycle of seasons, autumn, spring,
summer and winter and author illustrates life as a mixture of
struggle or joy, loss or gain, darkness or light and encourages
us to accept it all and find opportunity for growth.
The four seasons occur in a continuous cycle. It is like a system
with the seasons occurring interchangeably and each season has
its own characteristics some of which make life better and some
others make life to be a struggle. This is what life is all about.
Understanding the ups and downs at different times and seeing
challenges as opportunities as depicted in the different seasons.
Autumn
It is a season of both beauty and decline. Autumn has shorter
days, According to Palmer, “The light is suffused and summer’s
abundance decays towards winter death.” During this season,
seeds are planted. This brings new growth during spring. Even
though the plants starts to brown and die, there is hope for new
life from the planted seeds in spring. You might have a difficult
time now and you may not knowing that there are prospects of
better things to come. Whereas apparently, it seemed as if life
was silently and lavishly, seeds of new hope were being sown.
In this case, opposites work in close association and need to be
embraced together. This is not the case with many individuals
who do not want to put opposites together.
Winter
This is a demanding season and death of organisms is always
high. Few creatures move and plants do not visibly grow
because surface is covered by ice. Although the bad conditions,
the season is accompanied by many gifts. During this season,
many living organisms experience dormancy and rest that is
essential for their growth. According to Palmer “winter comes
when the sky is clear with brilliant sun. Before the snow comes,
the trees are bare, and this is a gift of clarity”, “In winter, one
can walk into the woods that had been opaque with summer
growth and see the trees clearly, singly and see the ground they
are rooted in.” This illustrates how difficult moments in can
turn out to be a life changer when viewed positively. When
winter comes, we learn to deal with the conditions. We miss
what summer used to provide and we need to survive without it.
The best thing is that we get the real picture of living without
some things and we see things that were concealed from us and
convert the challenges to opportunities.
Spring
Spring is characterized with mud and muck. These conditions
make one yearn for the return of ice but in real sense they create
favorable grounds for rebirth. Shoots are seen emerging from
the ground. According to Palmer, “The days get longer, the
winds get warmer and the world grows green again.” This
depicts that we should get a clear insight from the green stems
of possibility (Palmer, 1999). Late spring accompanied by
blooming, what had been withdrawn during winter is given
away without holding back.
Summer
According to Palmer, “In summer, forests fill with undergrowth,
trees with fruits and meadows with wildflowers and grasses.”
Compared to spring, summer is a steady stable condition of
plenty. However, some summers are characterized with flood or
drought although nature will try to balance periods of
abundance and scarcity. As opposed to nature, humans will
always fear for scarcity and will strive to get abundance not
knowing that in doing so they create the scarcity. Abundance is
created communally by passing what we have to those in need
and receiving whenever we are in need. This is what makes
humans different from nature.
References
Chadsey, T. (2012). Words of encouragement #18 spring 2012 |
center for courage & renewal. Retrieved from
http://www.couragerenewal.org/newsletter-spring2012/
Palmer, P. J. (1999). Let your life speak: Listening for the voice
of vocation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

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There is a season The life of an individual is characterized b.docx

  • 1. There is a season The life of an individual is characterized by different events that impact on him either positively or negatively. Different metaphors have been used to name our experiences in life. According to Parker Palmer “Life is like a game-some win, some lose”, and “Life is like a battlefield-you get the enemy or the enemy gets you.” These metaphors bring out the two opposite views of life, the positive and negative. The two can be compared using light and darkness. Humans need light and when natural light is not available, efforts are put in place to light different areas using artificial light. The positive side of the coin is what it is preferred by humans and they will try using any possible means to remain successful and avoid failure. The negative is avoided at all costs. In the article, “There is a season”, Parker Palmer brings out clearly the two sides by comparing them and how people view them. According to Palmer “One day you can get swept away on an updraft of hope telling yourself that things are getting better and better and on the next day you get swept under by a tidal wave of despair.” Palmer (1999) states that in the former situation, things are moving the way you want them to be and you seem very comfortable whereas in the latter, you can grow weary of the state when you are trapped in it for a long time and start looking for ways to escape. The same is seen with how we view our daily life occurrences. We feel as if we are in control of everything not considering that nature has its own course. There are two things here, man and nature. We assume that we are in control of any situation and occurrence. We believe that we can make time, make friends, make meaning, make money, make a living and make love. On the other hand, there is nature. There are powers that we cannot control. You might want to make money from your
  • 2. agricultural produce, but in lack of good conditions such as moderate rainfall and appropriate temperature, all will be useless. This helps us to look at life from a different angle. According to Palmer “We are not alone in the universe. We are participants in the huge communication of being.” The different metaphors that have been developed to describe life are different in one way or another. “Life is like a battlefield, you get your enemy or your enemy gets you”, and “Life is a game, you either win or lose”, view life from only two sides. Win or lose, light or darkness. In this case, negative situation depict trouble and one’s plans might be ruined if he remains in the same state. “Life is like seasons” is a metaphor that views life in a totally different way. Palmer (1999) states that life in neither a game nor a battlefield of chance, but something infinitely richer, more promising, more real. In this context, life is viewed as a permanent cycle of seasons, autumn, spring, summer and winter and author illustrates life as a mixture of struggle or joy, loss or gain, darkness or light and encourages us to accept it all and find opportunity for growth. The four seasons occur in a continuous cycle. It is like a system with the seasons occurring interchangeably and each season has its own characteristics some of which make life better and some others make life to be a struggle. This is what life is all about. Understanding the ups and downs at different times and seeing challenges as opportunities as depicted in the different seasons. Autumn It is a season of both beauty and decline. Autumn has shorter days, According to Palmer, “The light is suffused and summer’s abundance decays towards winter death.” During this season, seeds are planted. This brings new growth during spring. Even though the plants starts to brown and die, there is hope for new life from the planted seeds in spring. You might have a difficult time now and you may not knowing that there are prospects of better things to come. Whereas apparently, it seemed as if life was silently and lavishly, seeds of new hope were being sown.
  • 3. In this case, opposites work in close association and need to be embraced together. This is not the case with many individuals who do not want to put opposites together. Winter This is a demanding season and death of organisms is always high. Few creatures move and plants do not visibly grow because surface is covered by ice. Although the bad conditions, the season is accompanied by many gifts. During this season, many living organisms experience dormancy and rest that is essential for their growth. According to Palmer “winter comes when the sky is clear with brilliant sun. Before the snow comes, the trees are bare, and this is a gift of clarity”, “In winter, one can walk into the woods that had been opaque with summer growth and see the trees clearly, singly and see the ground they are rooted in.” This illustrates how difficult moments in can turn out to be a life changer when viewed positively. When winter comes, we learn to deal with the conditions. We miss what summer used to provide and we need to survive without it. The best thing is that we get the real picture of living without some things and we see things that were concealed from us and convert the challenges to opportunities. Spring Spring is characterized with mud and muck. These conditions make one yearn for the return of ice but in real sense they create favorable grounds for rebirth. Shoots are seen emerging from the ground. According to Palmer, “The days get longer, the winds get warmer and the world grows green again.” This depicts that we should get a clear insight from the green stems of possibility (Palmer, 1999). Late spring accompanied by blooming, what had been withdrawn during winter is given away without holding back. Summer According to Palmer, “In summer, forests fill with undergrowth,
  • 4. trees with fruits and meadows with wildflowers and grasses.” Compared to spring, summer is a steady stable condition of plenty. However, some summers are characterized with flood or drought although nature will try to balance periods of abundance and scarcity. As opposed to nature, humans will always fear for scarcity and will strive to get abundance not knowing that in doing so they create the scarcity. Abundance is created communally by passing what we have to those in need and receiving whenever we are in need. This is what makes humans different from nature. References Chadsey, T. (2012). Words of encouragement #18 spring 2012 | center for courage & renewal. Retrieved from http://www.couragerenewal.org/newsletter-spring2012/ Palmer, P. J. (1999). Let your life speak: Listening for the voice of vocation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.